Apparatus for storage, curing, and preservation of hay



y 7, 1935- J. G. SHODRON 2,000,103

APPARATUS FOR STORAGE, CURING, AND PRESERVATION OFflHAY Original FiledOct. 14, 1952 JMa-W RON,

5 4 JOHN G. SHOD Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR STORAGE, CURING, AND

PRESERVATION OF John G. Shodron, Fort Atkinson, Win, assignm- JamesManufacturing Company,

Fort

Atkinson, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin 4 a This invention relates toimprovements in hay containers, and has for its object to provide a haycontainer with means for causing a' circulation of air through thecontainer 'from'the top thereof to various points along the center, fromthe top to the bottom.

It is particularly the object of this invention to provide a containerhaving in the center thereof a vertical chute with a plurality oflateral openings, and means for delivering air into the container abovethe chute, with means for drawing the air from the chute and conveyingit back into the container so that the air is discharged at the top ofthe container, passes through the hay into the vertical chute, and outto a point without the container for further circulation through thecontainer.

These and other advantages will appear from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the drawing.

This is a division of copending application, Ser. No. 637,816, filedOctober 14, 1932.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus with one side broken away.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The numeral I is used to designate a foundation wall which supports afloor 2, which has in the center thereof a hole 3 from which thereextends an outlet air conduit 4 formed by means of a wall structure 5.This conduit has an outlet 6 formed by a wall 1.

Supported upon the foundation wall is a container composed. of aplurality of sections 8, one placed upon the other so that a containervariable in height may be provided. This container is covered by meansof a roof 9, which has in the top thereof. a ventilator i0 and to oneside of the ventilator a projection l l, with an opening l2 thereinadapted to receive and contain a spout I: located immediately above acap I! on top of a chute l5, supported on the floor 2 with the bottom ofthe chute around the opening 3.

In one side of the chute adjacent the floor 2 is an opening orpassageway l6. To this chute, at the passageway I 6, is joined one endof a tunnel member H, the other end of which joins the wall of thecontainer at a passageway I8 through this wall. On the outside of thecontainer and in alignment with the tunnel I1 is a stable structure IS.The tminel is for the purpose of providing a passageway from the stableinto the container and the chute so that hay and feed stufi may betransported from the chute, through the tunnel I1 into the stable.

The passageway at the entrance to the stable is provided with a door 20.The chute has therein a plurality of openings 2 I, each of which isclosed by means of a closure 22. Attached to the chute adjacent theopenings are ladder rungs 23. The outlet 6 has connected thereto aninlet 24 01 a blower 25. This blower has an outlet 26, which leads intoa heater 2! from which a chute 28 extends to the projection I I and intothe spout l3.

Within the container is a plurality of braces 29 for holding the chuteIS with relation to the wall of the container. The operation of theblower will cause a current of air to pass through the heater, upthrough the chute 28 and out atthe spout l3, where it is divided andcaused to go to all parts of the top of the container because of the capIt. The air thus scattered passes into the top of the hay, through thehay and through the openings 2|, into the chute, from which it is drawnat the bottom by the blower, as is clearly indicated by the arrows. y

The amount of air used for ventilating and drying purposes may bedetermined by the speed of the rotation of the blower and by the extentof the openings 2 I, which is regulated by the closures 22'. The forceof the blower on the air within the container may be regulated byopening and closing the door 20. When this door is closed all of the airmust come through the chute l5. When this door is partly open a part ofthe air drawn by the blower will be drawn in through the tunnel l1,thereby restricting the amount of air taken from the chute I5 andconsequently the amount of air taken from the container.

- It will be understoodthat I desire to comprehendvwithin my inventionsuch modifications as come within the scope of my claim and myinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what i claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is;

A storage container for hay having peripheral walls and a roof, and areturn air duct located substantially centrally of the container havinga plurality of openings, and doors for closing said openings, a blower,an air passageway connected to the exit end of said blower and extendingthrough said container adjacent the top thereof,

and having an exit for air beneath the top of

